CU Testimony to DC Council In Support of Resolution Opposing the Repeal of Net Neutrality (PR22-0691)

Consumers Union has long supported strong, enforceable net neutrality rules to ensure an open internet for consumers, free of interference by their internet service providers
(ISPs). After years of bipartisan attempts to pass workable rules to support and promote net neutrality, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finally passed court-approved rules when it adopted the 2015 Open Internet Order.That order contained basic rules that guarded against ISPs from blocking or slowing down websites or apps, or prioritizing access
and preferring some content for a fee. These rules were formulated based upon an extensive rulemaking record, and with the support of millions of consumers and ultimately, a federal
court.

All of this changed last December when the FCC, under new leadership, voted to approve the Restoring Internet Freedom Order. This order, for all intents and purposes, repealed the Commission’s very own net neutrality rules. Consumers Union remains firmly on the side of those who share our belief that net neutrality rules benefit consumers. Therefore, we are more than happy to support the DC Council’s Resolution, PR22-0691, which expresses the District’s strong opposition to the FCC’s repeal of the net neutrality rules.